1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a honeycomb structure and a method for manufacturing the honeycomb structure, and more particularly, it relates to a honeycomb structure which can suppress deformation, cracking or the like due to a temperature change and a method for manufacturing the honeycomb structure.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a rising need to remove fine particles or harmful substances from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, a boiler or the like in consideration of an influence on environment. In particular, regulations on the removal of the fine particles (hereinafter referred to as a particulate matter (PM) sometimes) discharged from a diesel engine tend to be strengthened in Europe, United States and Japan. Moreover, a honeycomb structure is used as a collecting filter for removing such a PM.
Examples of the filter used for such a purpose include a honeycomb filter in which a plugged honeycomb structure is utilized (see, e.g., JP-A-2009-40046 and JP-A-2006-231162). Here, the plugged honeycomb structure comprises porous partition walls via which a plurality of cells constituting through channels for a fluid (an exhaust gas, a purified gas) are partitioned, and an outer peripheral wall positioned in the outermost periphery of the structure. Open frontal areas of predetermined cells in the end face of the filter on a fluid (exhaust gas) inlet side thereof and open frontal areas of remaining cells in the end face of the filter on a fluid (purified gas) outlet side thereof have plugged portions. According to such a honeycomb filter, the exhaust gas flows into the cells through the end face of the filter on the exhaust gas inlet side thereof, the exhaust gas which has flowed into the cells passes through the partition walls, and the exhaust gas (the purified gas) passed through the partition walls is discharged through the end face of the filter on the exhaust gas outlet side thereof. Moreover, when the exhaust gas passes through the partition walls, the PM included in the exhaust gas is collected by the partition walls, and the exhaust gas becomes the purified gas.